Collect: Almighty God, who has dealt wonderfully with Your handmaiden, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and has chosen her to be the mother of Your Son and has graciously make known that You regard the poor and lowly and despised, grant us grace in all humility and meekness to receive Your Word with hearty faith and so be made one with Jesus Christ, our Lord; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord called fishermen to be fishers of men (Luke 5:1–11). The net they would use is the message of the cross, which is foolishness and a stumbling block to the world (1 Cor 1:18–25). The power of God to save is not in spectacular signs like wind and fire and earthquakes (1 Kings 19:11–21), nor is it to be found in human intelligence and wisdom. The power of God to save comes in the still, small voice of the preaching of Christ crucified. In worldly darkness the disciples could catch nothing. But in the light of Christ whose Word was attached to the water, the boats were filled with fish. So it is that in Baptism you have been drawn in to the ship of the church. Though the nets are breaking and some who hear the Word do not believe, pastors continue to cast the net of the Gospel and the Sacraments, that you fish may abide in the boat of the Church and that you may be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:8–15).

Collect: O God, who has prepared for those that love You such good things as pass man's understanding, pour into our hearts such love toward You that we, loving You above all things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.